


Another Year

by steviatea



Category: Better Call Saul (TV), Breaking Bad
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Holidays, Long-Distance Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, New Year's Eve, Platonic Female/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steviatea/pseuds/steviatea
Summary: Gustavo celebrates the new year with his closest friend.
Relationships: Gustavo Fring & Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, Past Max Arciniega/Gustavo Fring
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	Another Year

The holidays always come with a feeling of hollowness that Gus can't quite describe with words. He's a put-together man who compartmentalizes his emotions with an expertise that could only arise in someone who's faced loss as he has. Yet, there's an ache that resurfaces when he imagines what life would've been like right around now, had he not lost Max. It’s one of those trains of thoughts that seems to manifest when he’s alone for a particularly long period of time, and it gnaws at him in a manner so harsh that it cannot be ignored.

He thinks of Max often when holidays approach, thinks of what could have been. In another life, maybe, they'd be together and inviting what friends they might have made to a gathering of some sort. Perhaps they'd _have_ friends in that scenario, as Max had been the more charismatic of the couple. He'd always been a charmer; from the moment Gus had met him as a young man in Chile.

He tries not to think too hard about the past, tries not to let all of the what-if's linger in that hollow part of his chest where all of his grief lies. His fingers hover over the numbers on his landline phone. For the sake of being untraceable, he wouldn't ordinarily use his own house phone to make the call he's considering making. He reserves other, separate and carefully organized, phones for contacting business associates.

However, he is bending his own rules tonight, as this _technically_ is not business related, in spite of the professional relationship he has with the person he’s about to call. Dialing in the _1-713_ area code for long distance, a familiar phone number follows. He prepares to wait patiently for the dial tone to sound a few times, the phone is answered after just one ring.

"Gustavo?" A woman's voice greets, a half-question in her surprised tone. She seems to have answered with deliberate quickness, perhaps even with a sense of urgency. She is, after all, a high-strung young woman who seems to constantly vibrate on a high frequency. It isn’t out of the question that she’d be surprised by a call from Gus, so late after business hours. "Is everything okay?"

Against his own stoicism, a faint hint of a smile begins to work its way onto his face at the immediate concern in her voice. "Yes, everything is fine," he replies, and quietly makes a mental note over the fact that _Lydia Rodarte-Quayle_ is truly one of the _only_ people who's shown this level of consideration toward him in ages. "Is this a good time for you to talk? I certainly hope I am not intruding on anything important." He extends a level of politeness to her that's more _genuine_ than it would be with others.

"Oh my god, no, you're not intruding at all," Lydia quickly reassures him on the other end, and there's a cadence in her voice that sounds so familiar — friendly, even. "I'm just surprised that you called, but of _course_ , I'm available to talk. I'm not busy right now, but even if I _were,_ I mean — I can always make time for you."

Gus wonders if it's a pleasantry, what she just said, if it's a simple expression or if she'd hold true to her words. He assumes that he'll find out soon enough.

"I'm very glad to hear that," Gus replies, eying his empty living room, phone still held to his ear as he attempts to envision the woman on the other end of the phone here with him in person. The relationship he shares with Lydia is strictly platonic in nature, and his mind wouldn't dare to entertain the idea of it being anything _sensually_ intimate. Lydia is a business associate to Gustavo, that much is true, but on a more personal note, he considers her his friend. If it weren’t for her, his empire wouldn’t be half of what it is now. She’s an undeniably significant part of his life.

Perhaps she is even his _only_ friend, a thought that Gustavo’s mind lingers on.

"So, what's going on?" Lydia asks, and her words soon change to nervous and speedy rambling. "Is this about the delay in the recent chemical supply shipment from Madrigal? Because, I promise, I'm doing everything I can on my end to resolve that and expedite…"

Gustavo is quick to interject, words careful and polite. "Ah, no. Do not worry about that right now, my friend. I am actually calling on more personal matters."

"Oh, good." He can audibly hear the relief in her voice, a sigh of relief following on her end. "Good," she repeats, and there's somewhat of a long pause before she adds, "Go on."

"I wanted to know what plans you have for celebrating the new year," Gus clarifies his intentions. "Will you be doing anything to celebrate?"

There's a long pause on Lydia's side, though he waits patiently for her to respond. 

"Um… No. I mean, I’m not doing anything in particular, really," Lydia replies, the tone of voice suggesting that she is still contemplating her answer. "Nothing _exciting,_ at least. What about you?"

"I would say that my plans are very much the same, in that they are _nonexistent,"_ Gus says in response. Though, he doesn't just leave it there; after all, he has an offer to make. "Would you be interested in visiting to celebrate with me? I would, of course, cover the travel expenses for you and your daughter, in the event you're interested."

He's in the process of preparing for rejection, thinking over the words he might say, in the event he is turned down. _I understand that the timing may be inconvenient. Please do not feel obligated, as I'm not inviting you on a professional capacity. I understand if you aren't interested or capable on such short notice._ The words flow through his mind immediately after he's spoken, but Lydia's response cuts right through his doubt.

"Yes! I would love that." There is no _but_ that follows with a rejection, no hesitation in her words, no uncertainty. She is already enthusiastic, and such enthusiasm instantly washes away any inkling of worry Gustavo may have had. "Thank you for the invitation, Gus. That's so considerate of you to think of me."

"Shall I book a flight for you, then?" he asks her.

"Please. That'd be great," Lydia replies. "Thank you for inviting us. It'll be nice to see you in a capacity that isn't strictly business-related. Not that I don't enjoy our meetings and conferences, but I, um…" Trailing off as if to consider her words, as if she's not used to expressing her feelings about things like this, she's silent for a moment before continuing. "I appreciate our friendship, Gus. It means the world to me, really."

Gustavo smiles. "The feeling is mutual." His words are genuine, even if they don't carry much inflection. "Would you like me to fly you in on the thirty-first?"

"That'd be great. Thank you, Gustavo."

Gus smiles. He realizes Lydia cannot see this, of course. "It's my pleasure. I will see to it that the flight is booked." He's already in the process of retrieving his laptop as he speaks, preparing to book a flight. "I look forward to seeing you soon."

"I can say the same to you," Lydia replies. 

* * *

Gustavo ensures that his home is in pristine condition before Lydia arrives. He prepares his guest room with a meticulous level of care, dressing the bed with freshly washed sheets and making sure the bed is made neatly. Cleaning his house for her arrival proves to be a useful way to pass time until Lydia arrives. When the thirty-first rolls around, he's sure to drive right to the airport that very afternoon.

He meets Lydia in the baggage claim, walking toward him dressed sharply in a black dress, a deep blue overcoat, and her signature _Louboutin_ heels. Her young daughter, Kiira, toddles beside her with her tiny hand held safely in her mother's. When Lydia sees him, she smiles, and Gustavo's chilled heart defrosts a little bit at the very sight of that look on her face.

The click of her heels against the airport floor quickens in pace as Lydia's speed picks up. Gustavo walks toward her to close the distance between them, a warm look upon his features.

"Hi," Lydia greets him. Her smooth, dark hair is pulled into a bun and her lips painted a rosy pink, pulled into a grin. "It's so good to see you." Gustavo notes that he doesn't often see his friend smile; she's quite frequently got an anxious, highly stressed look upon her face that persists during working hours. Around Gus, though, as the two of them have gotten closer, she seems to relax somewhat and appear more at ease.

"And you as well," Gustavo replies, his deep brown eyes flitting toward Lydia's luggage, which he gestures toward. "May I help you with your luggage?"

Lydia glances to her bags and lets out a noise that sounds something like a shallow laugh — _a giggle, even?_ She nods, handing one of her bags to Gus. "Yes, please. Thank you for offering."

As the three of them step out of the airport and into the parking lot, Gus turns to Lydia, asking her, "Are you hungry? Would you like to stop anywhere for lunch?"

"That'd be fantastic. I haven't had much today," Lydia replies with a nod, and then she turns to her daughter. "Kiira, sweetie, are you hungry too? You want to get something to eat?"

"Yeah!" The little girl chirps enthusiastically.

"How about The Grove?" Lydia asks Gus. "My treat, of course, since you've been so generous with flying us here."

"Of course," Gus replies. "The Grove it is."

* * *

After a lunch shared in relative silence, not out of awkwardness but of quiet mutual enjoyment of one another's company, Gus welcomes Lydia into his home. Once he has helped carry her bags inside, he and Lydia spend the remainder of the afternoon catching up, conversing about the little intricacies of life that were often missed out on sharing due to the geographical distance between them.

For a moment, as he's sitting there on the couch speaking with Lydia and watching her hold her young daughter on her lap, Gustavo even feels like a normal person. For once, his mind isn't entirely devoted to seeking revenge on Hector and the cartel, but instead on Lydia. He focuses on the way she keeps her hands clasped together, fingers fidgeting as she talks to Gus about her job, her daughter, her life.

Gus decides to make a traditional Chilean stew, _porotos granados,_ for dinner. Lydia keeps him company all the while and offers to help prepare the ingredients with him. Accepting the offer, Gus tells her a few stories of his childhood as they work together to prepare the food. He tells her that his mother taught him how to cook when he was younger, how he developed a passion for the culinary arts at a young age that only grew as he did. Such a passion only led to owning his own restaurants, as time went by.

Sure, Los Pollos Hermanos is a front for a methamphetamine distribution business, but even without that aspect, Gus still enjoys being the owner of a restaurant franchise. It gives the advantage of _hiding in plain sight,_ but just as much, it gives him something to do.

Gus thinks of his family, briefly, as he’s sitting at the table eating dinner with Lydia and her daughter. He thinks about how, now, Lydia is the closest person he even has to family. He is grateful for her presence.

Kiira insists on staying up late with her mother for New Years, but the young child quickly grows drowsy by the time night falls. Lydia leads her daughter to the guest bedroom and tucks her in. When she returns to Gus’ living room, she joins him and sits by him on the sofa.

"Dinner was amazing," Lydia tells him softly, her hands fidgeting idly, a gentle smile on her face. "I can't think of a better way to end the year than being here. I'm really glad you invited me here."

"I return the sentiment to you," Gus tells her, "To tell the truth, I… well, I would have had a very bleak New Year, if you hadn't accepted my offer."

"Yeah?" Lydia asks, her eyebrows furrowing. "Is that so? I'm surprised _the_ Gustavo Fring wouldn't otherwise be celebrating in some way."

Her words elicit a shallow, dry laugh from Gus. "This may come as a surprise, but in spite of my status in the local community, my social life is… _limited_ compared to most." Wringing his own hands together, he casts his gaze downward. "In most circumstances, I am content to be alone, but during the holidays…"

He doesn't finish his sentence, but he doesn't need to for Lydia to understand.

"I get it," she tells him, resting her small, pale hand upon Gus' own. Even such a small gesture gives him a level of emotion he cannot quite articulate — it sends a shiver down his spine.

While he hasn't explicitly told her about his past, _about Max,_ she possesses the reasoning skills to know, at least vaguely, about what's going on. Gus has not heard Lydia speak of her own relatives before, save for her daughter. He's not sure who she has in her life, but if Gus is to go by the response Lydia gave him over the phone, he might assume she knows the feeling of _loneliness_ quite intimately.

"Well, for what it's worth," Lydia continues in response to Gustavo's silence, "I wouldn't have had any company over myself, if I'd stayed at home. I don't exactly have anyone locally. Sure, there are my employees at Madrigal, but — they're not exactly _friends,_ you know, and I don't _remotely_ have the charisma to throw any parties, so…" 

Lydia trails off, wincing.

"Anyways, I would've tucked Kiira into bed and went to sleep before twelve if I'd been on my own. It definitely wouldn't have been very remarkable if I'd been on my own."

Gustavo looks to her, and there's a look of understanding in his gaze, of respect. Maybe it's even empathy, or something close to it. "I much prefer your company over being alone. It's unfortunate we aren't able to get together more often due to distance and time constraints."

Lydia nods her head in agreement. "That would be nice, wouldn't it? Maybe we could make this a _thing_ more often. You know, for certain holidays." Gesturing loosely with her hands, she adds, "You're always welcome to visit my home, too. I'd be happy to fly you over sometime."

"I may very well take you up on that offer in the future," Gus responds. It's something he would like to do, to spend more time in Houston with his friend. Perhaps that could be a future vacation goal, if he were ever _safe_ enough to have such a luxury.

Lydia smiles.

* * *

Approximately ten minutes before midnight, Gustavo asks Lydia, "Can I offer you some champagne? I bought some for the occasion." Truthfully, he'd only purchased it _after_ he'd made plans with Lydia. He'd gotten something nice, a pricy bottle.

"Oh, champagne sounds great," Lydia replies. "Thank you."

Gus smiles, as polite a host as ever. "It's my pleasure. I'll go get the bottle."

He leaves the living room momentarily and doesn't come back until he has a couple of glasses and a bottle of champagne. Popping open the bottle, he pours the alcohol into one glass, serving his guest first. He hands the freshly-poured champagne to Lydia, who accepts it with a grateful nod and a _thanks._ Gustavo pours his own drink after.

After taking a sip of her drink, Lydia asks, "So, do you have a New Years resolution of some sort?"

In response to such a query, Gus is silent for a few passing moments as he contemplates a response. "I don't suppose eliminating the Salamanca family and ruining Hector’s life constitutes a resolution?"

"I mean…" Lydia shrugs her shoulders, raising her brows. "That certainly sounds like an _ambitious_ resolution, if I've ever heard of one."

"I'm nothing if not ambitious," Gus replies, taking a sip of champagne and allowing the flavor to linger in his mouth before he swallows, following with a question of his own. "How about yourself, Lydia? Do you have a resolution for the new year?"

She clears her throat. "I've… made a _fairly_ long list of personal improvements I'd like to make. It'd probably take too much time to list everything, honestly."

"Well, I hope you're able to reach your goals," Gus says, “Whatever they may be.”

"Same to you," Lydia replies. "Cheers."

The two glasses clink together. Shortly thereafter, the clock strikes twelve.

"Happy New Year, my friend," Gus tells her. “May we both fulfill our resolutions.”


End file.
